Hardeteels
The hardeteels '''''are a race of men that inhabit Fjorr, Kroyhatheff, Mithraleeth and the Heartlands and have large populations in other countries. They are very strong and powerfully-built. They are one of the oldest races. They are tough and hardy, able to cope with extreme conditions. They can be very aggressive. They are known as ''noreranus ''by the ael'ùvah and ''nûredhanù ''by the ael'nonùvah. They both mean ''North-native. ''They call themselves ''hárdetedhl, ''from which the word hardeteel is derived. Biology The hardeteels are a tall race. Excluding the Giant Men of Drooding, the hardeteels are the tallest races of men. They stand at an average height that falls between 6' and 7'. They are also naturally muscular and are built for endurance. They are generally quite slow at running but can do so for long duration and while carrying a heavy weight. Like most Mannish races, they can have many hair and eye colours that vary between individuals. The most common colours of hair for hardeteels are black, blond and black, with it becoming white or grey in older age. It is not uncommon, however, for there to be individuals with red-coloured hair. Their eye colour is commonly brown, blue or green, however, grey eyes can be found. History Early History The hardeteels are one of the oldest races on Cerceres. They evolved from valiö that dwelt in the region of Cer-Nugè. Initially, they were an aggressive race and had little or no unity. They were battle-hardened and made strong by endless attacks from the mequë, who still plagued the northern regions of Eusiac at this time. Some time before the birth of Htamádhed, the hardeteels met the khârg and taught them speech. For this, the hardeteels were rewarded with knowledge of mines and minerals. The khârg also helped the hardeteels in many battles against the mequë. Time of the Htudhá The Life of Htamádhed Lokve eventually came out from his self-exile and sent a hero to help the hardeteels. That hero was Htamádhed, born in Esgaragoth tens of thousands of years before the formation of the First Empire of Mithraleen. Htamádhed was born to a famed hunter and his wife, Htá. Htamádhed lived a sheltered life. His village was untouched by evil in all ways. It was a serene place. However, that changed when an orkish army attacked the town and burned it to the ground. Luckily, Htamádhed and his mother were sent away before the orks reached the village, nevertheless, his father was killed defending the town. Htá and her son were hounded by the orks and pursued on their way to Ajjergoff. A few weeks after their departure from Esgaragoth, orks tracked their camp down and attacked them. A group of hunters came to Htamádhed's aid, however, they were too late to save him mother. Htamádhed accepted the group's invitation to join their ranks and he spent a few years with them, fighting orks that strayed near their camps. The leader of the group adopted Htamádhed as a son and cared for him. All that ended when the party were assaulted by a large warband of orks. Despite their bravery, all but a handful of hunters were slain. Htamádhed's adoptive father had been slain by the orks. This loss drove Htamádhed to insanity and he wandered the land for many months, isolating himself from everyone. Htamádhed eventually arrived in Ajjergoff and, for a short time, was the ruler of the town, after they learned of his great strength. Htamádhed spent many years as master of the town and met and married a woman. Ajjergoff was later besieged by an army of mequë and was sacked. The attack was led by Námoras, a great dragon under the service of the orks. Htamádhed slew the beast, however, he saw his wife engulfed by dragonfire and thought her dead. Htamádhed is said to have killed himself in his sorrow. His wife had been protected by the flames by Lokve and gave birth to a son, who became the first of the Htudhá. She soon died and the baby was left alone in the ruins of Ajjergoff. Htamádhed's Line and Legacy The baby was rescued by an adventurer and adopted as a son. He spent many years as a hunter, staying away from civilisation. When his adoptive father died, he travelled from his home and went exploring. He came across a village that was being attacked by orks. He rushed to their aid and saved them. He married a woman from the town and she bore him many children. People heard of his strength and valour and flocked to him. They constructed a wall around the town and strengthened it. Later, he had a vision from his father, his true father, who told him who he was. He named him Ohtamádh, son of Htamádh. Ohtamádh, angered that he had been lied to his entire life, lashed out at the vision but could not hurt his father. Htamádhed comforted his son and consoled him. He instructed him to return to the ruins of Ajjergoff and rebuild the city. Ohtamádh returned to his town and ordered everyone to come with him. They journeyed for several weeks before coming to the ashy ruin that signalled the location where a once-vibrant city had been. They began to rebuild what had been destroyed. The rebuilding lasted many years and Ohtamádh was a very old man by the time the work was completed. He lasted several more years before dying of natural causes. His eldest son, Háná, became the ruler of Ajjergoff. The later Htudhá would defeat the mequë at many battles and push them back to Miraleeth. By the time of Nèvrodh, the hardeteels were organised under one kingdom, that stretched from Fjorr to Mithraleeth, from Kroyhatheff to Murstag. Due to this, the hardeteels commanded considerable power. Their expansions both east and south brought them into contact with the nargds and the erius. For a long time, the orks and their allies were out of the minds of most hardeteels, however, the mequë, revived by Norkel, awoke from their rest and invaded the lands of the hardeteels. They were in far greater number than the hardeteels had ever seen and were accompanied by goblins, trolls and dragons. Nèvrodh had assembled a large army and met the enemy in northern Miraleen. Although his soldiers had never seen a war on the scale of this before, they were well-trained and well-armed. There was a huge battle that took place between the hardeteels and the orks of Norkel. The battle turned into a siege as both sides constructed forts and fortified them. The battle would last for twenty years. Despite the valour shown by the hardeteels, the prolonged length of the battle slowly wore down the hardeteels. At last, however, the orks had broken into and sacked the last fort. Despite their apparent victory, the mequë retreated, leaving only a handful of hardeteels in the fort. The orkish retreat had only been a trick and, when Nèvrodh returned from battle to Ajjergoff, he was corrupted by Norkel. After years of tyranny, Norkel's spell was broken when Nèvrodhed, the son of Nèvrodh, slew his father and banished Norkel to the Void. The Times of Darkness After the Fall of the Htudhá, the hardeteels were scattered and without a ruler. The strong unity of the race had not endured the death of their leaders and the split into many different groups. They fought amongst each other and with other races. When the ael'nonùvah arrived the Heartlands, the hardeteels feared them and engaged them in warfare. The wars lasted for thousands of years and resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands on both sides. The wars were highlighted by events like the Sacking of Lár-Tidhor and the ''pyrré ayu uvivè a madho ''and resulted in hostility between the hardeteels and elves that lasted for thousands of years. The wars were only ended when the ael'nonùvah fled into the Great Forest and hid from the hardeteels for several decades. The Kingdoms of the Hardeteels A few hundred years after the wars with the ael'nonùvah, many of the hardeteels were brought under one banner. On the ruins of Ajjergoff, a new city was built and became the capital of a kingdom that would span much of Fjorr. The new kingdom had others to compete with. The ancient kingdoms of Fjerk and Bjorf surfaced around this time and all three of them were embroiled in many wars and alliances with each other. At this time, the hardeteels formed their first naval empires. Huge war fleets were constructed to battle with the enemies of the kingdoms. For a time, the three kingdoms were embroiled in a long war that lasted for many years and saw Ajjergoff victorious. Kroyhatheff was also brought under Fjorrian command, the first time it had been since the reign of the Htudhá. Bjorf and Ajjergoff were fierce enemies. They contested the rule of western Fjorr for many years. Bjorf also took over many villages and towns in Kroyhatheff, with the sole intention of preventing Ajjergoff from dominating the whole of Kroyhatheff. They sparked another war with Ajjergoff over these small patches of territory. These wars were always costly for both kingdoms, which were equally matched in strength and power. Hardeteel Expansion to the South Some hardeteels felt that the kingdoms of Fjorr were too oppressive. Some fled south. The refugees found the road tough and long. They only survived through the help of the khârg of Khâ, who provided them with food and protection. For a few decades, the hardeteels stayed inside the city, especially during the winter. Some khârgi builders assisted the hardeteels in building their new cities and, as a result, were awarded a special place of honour in the first city built in Mithraleeth, which was Braeburn. Several cities were built after this, such as Strabo, Broumar and Vettach, which became the capitals of some of the first Loch Clans. Many other clans soon followed and Mithraleeth became a place of changing political entities. War with the Nargds and War with Asterl Bzasmim When the Great Split happened, the hardeteels of Kroyhatheff were invaded by nargds fleeing from Nargd'Hcuthd. The nargds were running from their enemies and forced the hardeteels out of eastern Kroyhatheff. The hardeteels of Kroyhatheff, vassals of Ajjergoff, requested aid from Fjorr, to help them reclaim their lands. A large force was assembled in Ajjergoff and sent to assist Kroyhatheff. The war with the nargds was brutal and harsh. Both races were designed for fighting and fought each other to a standstill. There were equal amounts of losses and victories on each side. Cities changed hands commonly. Eventually, a ceasefire was the only option. Despite the vast resources available to Kroyhatheff and Ajjergoff, they didn't have enough to combat the invasive nargds, who were fighting for their lives. Negotiations were held between the leaders of all parties. In return for servitude, the nargds were awarded the eastern half of Kroyhatheff. This alliance with the nargds made the ugluh of Asterl Bzasmim hostile towards the hardeteels. Several border skirmishes suddenly erupted in war. A joint force of nargds and hardeteels pushed the ugluh back to Osluth, which they had captured from Dirich. The Siege of Osluth was one of the longest and bloodiest sieges ever. It lasted thirty years and cost hundreds of thousands of lives. It was finally won by the hardeteels and nargds, who pushed the ugluh back to Asterl Bzasmim. Despite these victories, Asterl Bzasmim was too well-defended for the hardeteels and nargds to advance forward. Also, Dirich had sent an army forth to attack Osluth, which was ill-defended with a small garrison of only a few hundred. The advancing hardeteelean army was forced to withdraw back to Osluth and defeated the Dirich army. A peace treaty between Ajjergoff and Asterl Bzasmim was never officially signed, even though the war ended. This left the two races open to skirmishes, which were justified as being part of the war. The Troll Wars The hardeteels of Fjorr and northern Mithraleeth were soon embroiled in a war called the Troll Wars. En masse, the trolls, of all varieties had migrated from the west further east. They took up residence in great number in Fjorr. The leaders of Fjorr decided to take action before the trolls became a problem. At first, they licensed bounties for each troll slain. Soon, however, the numbers became to much for mercenaries and glory-seekers to handle and the army was brought in. The fighting was fierce and vicious. Slowly, the trolls were killed off and forced out of Fjorr but the country was weakened as a result. Imperial Invasion of Fjorr Still damaged from the Troll Wars, the hardeteels couldn't react quickly to the Mithraleenean Empire when it invaded Fjorr. In the first year, the southern territories were annexed into the empire. The terrain of Fjorr proved to be an obstacle for the legionaries, however, they overcame the challenge and continued to win victories against the hardeteels of Fjorr. Ajjergoff, nevertheless, remained a capital for hardeteelean resistance. The Mithraleenean Empire besieged the city many times but they could not capture it. From Ajjergoff, the hardeteels continued to disrupt the supply lines of the empire and attacked convoys and soldiers. The hardeteels committed many daring attacks on their enemies. One bold attack resulted in the capturing of Fjerk from the Mithraleenean Empire. The city was soon recaptured, however, the hardeteels managed to disrupt the imperial war effort for a few months by holding off a siege. Ajjergoff continued to pose a threat to the empire. Five years after the start of the invasion, Ajjergoff had not yet fallen. Despite the fact that the empire had recruited pirates to prey on hardeteelean supply ships and had armies stationed near the city, the defenders were resolute in their protection of the city. Only after the empire employed the use of their battlemages were the walls finally broken. The soldiers in the city were able to push back the enemy and hold the city for a month, with its walls breached, however, they were finally defeated. Less than a decade after the beginning of the invasion, Fjorr had fallen to the invaders. Kroyhatheff soon followed. The Mithraleenean Empire moved in from the Heartlands and from Fjorr, taking Kroyhatheff from two sides. Many of the hardeteels from Fjorr had fled to Kroyhatheff to escape punishment and taxation and assisted the locals in their defence. Some khârgi mercenaries were also employed by the kingdoms of Kroyhatheff. The Mithraleenean Empire began their assault in summer. The khârg managed to hold off their attacks however and winter soon came. The legions of the empire were punished severely by the winter and many men fell to the cold and either died or were rendered unable to fight. The empire was unable to make any advances until late spring. When summer came, the weather had warmed and the empire were able to defeat the khârg mercenaries. Once the khârg were dealt with, the legions were free to advance into Kroyhatheff. Yssr and Windstone fell within a year. The empire's navy base at Hinnl was attacked by the hardeteels and nargds and many of the dockyards were destroyed, significantly damaging the empire's ability to operate fleets in the waters around Kroyhatheff. This managed to by those in Kroyatheff time before the empire could blockade the Kroy, the capital of Kroyhatheff. The legions arrived outside the city in early spring the next year and systematically destroyed farms and villages, causing food shortages in the Kroy. The food that was stored in the city's granaries were rationed to prevent it from being used up quickly. Despite the blockade at sea and the presence of an enemy army outside the gates, the Kroy continued to receive food supplies. The khârgi mercenaries that had not been killed already by the empire expanded the cave network near the city, making the tunnels lead into the city. The food convoys were able to take food into the city through these caves. The caves were hidden and guarded fiercely so that the empire would not be able to discover them and sneak into the city. The city also had a series of scouts in place in the cave. In the case that the empire discovered the caves, the scouts would relay the news back to the people at the end of the tunnel, who had rocks prepared to seal the caves. A traitor by the name of Daíbh betrayed the location of the caves to the Mithraleenean Empire for amnesty and gold. He led them to the caves and told them about the network of scouts. At night, the empire's top soldiers infiltrated the tunnels, killing the scouts before they could report them to the guards. The legionaries overpowered the guards at the end of the tunnel and broke into the city. They fought their way to the gate and opened it for their companions to flood into the city. The fighting was fierce but the empire was victorious. Only a handful of cities remained in the control of the hardeteels and nargds of Kroyhatheff. The Kroy was the home of the leadership of Kroyhatheff. The leaders were either made to surrender or they were slain. Without a leader, the rest of Kroyhatheff fell into disarray. The remaining lands were soon conquered and annexed into the empire. A rebellion continued to live on for several decades after the invasion. They were only stopped after their leader was slain. The rebels were allowed to return to daily life on the condition they became loyal citizens of the empire. Many agreed to this and were accepted readily back into society. Those that didn't were exiled. They eventually died out or were killed in various skirmishes with guards. Personality Hardeteels are a war-like race. They are aggressive and fierce. They are also very loyal and see betrayal as one of the worst crimes possible. Generally, hardeteels are very religious and devout. They adhere strictly to their religious teachings. Wars are not unknown to have been stopped due to religious festivals, especially during the season of ''pácrdhé. ''The average hardeteel is wary of outsiders, however, they are very welcoming. Some view the hardeteels as being racist, as their society frowns on elves. This is due to years of war between the hardeteels and the ugluh. Many hardeteels see the nargds as younger siblings who need to be cared for and shown the path to goodness. Because of this, many hardeteel missionaries can be found in Nargd'Hcuthd. Views on the nargds A lot of hardeteels see it as their duty to help the nargds. The nargds are the most similar race to the hardeteels and alliances in the past have brought them closer. Despite this, there are a few groups of hardeteels who share the ugluhian view that the nargds are vermin that should be exterminated. They also view them as being weak and unworthy to be called men. Views on the khârg In the early history of the hardeteels, they cooperated freely with the khârg. The hardeteels were the first to teach the khârg how to speak. In return, the khârg showed the hardeteels some of their smithing and mining skills. Subsequent alliances and friendships have strengthened ties between the two races. Many hardeteels view the khârg as equals, despite the fact that they have differing religious beliefs. The khârg share this view. In the past, the hardeteels and the khârg have worked together. The khârg assisted the hardeteels when they were at war with the mequë. Views on elves Hardeteels are usually distrustful towards elves. This is due to years of war between the ugluh and hardeteels. In addition to this, in the early history of the hardeteels, they were involved in many bloody wars with the ael'nonùvah. These wars were started for various reasons. The war with the ugluh was to protect their alliance with the nargds. The wars with the ael'nonùvah was out of fear and desperation. Culture and Religion The hardeteels are very family-orientated, much like the nargds or the ael'ùvah. It is considered a great shame to be disowned from a family. Although there are some family names shared by thousands of hardeteels, those who are part of the family but not a close relation are generally considered unimportant, unlike in ael'ùvahian culture, where those who share the family name, irregardless of closeness, are respected and befriended. Close friends of families are respected and sometimes invited to join the family. In this way, they are much like clans, as opposed to families. Many hardeteels believe in the Lokanus Pantheon. Lokanár is the state religion of Fjorr and Kroyhatheff. Though similar to the Lokvian religion, both the laws and the punishments for breaking the laws are stricter. Drugs are considered unholy in the religion and excessive drinking of alcohol is frowned upon. Conceiving before marriage is punishable by death or life imprisonment. Many individuals are wary of those of other religions. When the Mithraleenean Empire tried to mithraleenise the hardeteels, there were riots in Fjorr and Kroyhatheff, as it involved converting to the Lokvian religion. The hardeteels speak many languages. The most predominant language is Fjorrian. It is spoken in Fjorr and in some parts of Kroyhatheff. It evolved from Old Fjorrian. Many hardeteels in Kroyhatheff speak Kroy, which comes from Old Kroy. Old Brae, Brae, Old Vátta, Vátta and Vettol are also languages spoken by the hardeteels. Their languages are extremely important in linguistics as they evolved into many other languages. All the nargdoc languages evolved from Old Fjorrian and erius came from the Mordach language, which evolved from Old Brae. The hardeteels are very proud of their languages, especially due to how influential they are in Eusiac. As Ajjergoff fulfils the role as a sub-capital of the Mithraleenean Empire, Fjorrian is regarded as an official language of the Mithraleenean Empire, along with the erius language, ael'ùvahian and some barabic languages. This has allowed their languages to retain considerable power. Like the khârg, the hardeteels are very proud of their craftsmanship. Although they considered khârgi creations to be superior to their own, the hardeteels enjoy their own gems and jewelry. Their armour is renowned for its strength and, working with the khârg, have made steel armour and weaponry. Their love of swords and armour is reflected by their love of war. The hardeteels view it as their divine destiny to fight the evil of Norkel and his servants. If a hardeteel dies on the battlefield, he is said to go to Lokanus to live with him. Unlike the khârg, when a husband dies and leaves a widow, the widow and the daughters receive nothing, other than the property and land owned by the deceased. Everything is given to the sons. The sons can then decide to give the widow and the daughters something. In the case that there are no sons, the wealth is given to the closest male relative. In the rare case that there is no male relative, half of the wealth is taken by the ruler and the other half is shared amongst the widow and the daughters. Certain cultures may differ from this but this remains typical in most hardeteel societies. Hardeteels frown on magic, especially witchcraft and necromancy. They view these two types of magic as being immoral and improper. The various churches of the hardeteels are dedicated to eradicating these two groups of magic in any form. Because of this, the churches are hated by the practitioners of these magic types. The Church of Lokanár views necromancy as execrable as it views bodies as holy and any tampering with bodies, especially after death, is horrific in their eyes. Witchcraft is viewed in much the same way as many parts of the category involves human body parts. Notable Individuals *Alva '' *Lasséör Fiann ''' Trivia *Their name is a portmanteau of hard and steel, with the s'' in steel changed to ''e. Category:Races Category:Validor Category:Mannish